Daily observations on whatever comes to mind. (Look for a lot of posts on food and gratitude. ;)

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Monday, December 13, 2010

Wreaths Across America

On Saturday, a friend and I, along with over 700 others, volunteered to help with "Wreaths Across America", a national event that took place all over the country at 12:00 EST. We placed wreaths on the headstones of fallen veterans at Fort Rosecrans Cemetery. Though I've driven by the Cemetery countless times on my way to Cabrillo National Monument and the tide pools, I've never once stopped there for a visit, until Saturday. It's a beautiful and sad place all at the same time.

As I get older and better understand life and mortality, I find myself becoming more and more in awe of people who voluntarily put their lives at risk for what they judge to be noble causes. These veterans signed up for a career that they knew full well would put them in harm's way. And when they went to war, their lives were literally in jeopardy every single day until they returned home.

Whatever is in their make-up is certainly not in mine and I admire them for it. I freak out for weeks after seeing a scary movie. I could not handle being in a war zone, and thankfully, I'll never have to find that out first hand thanks to the brave men and women who do handle it.

Think about your life. What are you doing right now? Probably sitting comfortably in your home reading this. Right now at this moment, someone just like you is in the middle of a war zone, sitting uncomfortably, hoping to make it through the day without getting shot or bombed on, miles away from everyone who cares about them.

I felt honored to place a wreath on a fallen veteran's grave:

On a lighter note. Extremely amusing that the wreaths came out of this truck: